translation by mourningmoor
High School Senior, Home Ma Inyoung, had her year-end plans all set.
She had done reasonably well on her college entrance exam, and now she could devote all her time to stanning L.I.T.
Having lived in the U.S. until her third year of middle school, she was pouring all her energy into spreading L.I.T’s influence overseas.
What that meant was adding English subtitles to all of L.I.T’s videos.
Since her career path was leaning toward translation anyway, it was a helpful addition to her resume. However, because the members’ characters were so charming, she had to put extra effort into preserving that charm in her translations.
Today, her task was translating the “Kang Ichan Fancam Reaction” video from Mad Juhee.
A fancam. In other words, it was a video filmed by a Filament who followed Kang Ichan around during a public broadcast, recording him exclusively with their phone.
Kang Ichan’s fancam was truly a “fantasy” in itself.
Inyoung had already watched this fancam over twenty times.
The more she watched it, the more speechless and dizzy she felt. She was supposed to be translating the reaction video, but her fingers kept leading her back to the fancam.
Clicking the thumbnail, a vertically elongated screen appeared.
To the somewhat sticky and dreamy melody of Stay, Kang Ichan began to move.
The sexy black suit, which accentuated his slender and beautiful bodyline, made Ichan’s movements even more dazzling. Moreover, the flashy blouse he wore underneath the black suit added an extra layer of sophistication to his look.
Had he undone about three buttons?
The glimpse of his collarbone was too pretty, and his hand gestures and facial expressions exuded elegance.
As if born with grace and sophistication, everything about Kang Ichan was completely different from any other idol she had seen before.
He maintained a cool expression throughout the performance, but when he made eye contact with the camera, he flashed a faint smile, and that was absolutely killer.
When the slightly sexy choreography combined with Kang Ichan’s killing points, the synergy exploded.
It was no surprise that this video had an astronomical number of views on NewTube and trended in real-time on SNS.
“Ugh, seriously, oppa. If you keep making eye contact like that, I’m going to have a heart attack.”
The way he slightly lifted one corner of his lips and stared intensely at the camera never got old. No, every time she watched it, her heart raced.
No wonder he was gaining traction overseas too.
Kang Ichan’s visuals work even in the West.
Just then, a direct message arrived on her SNS.
The sender was…
“Brazil?”
The sender, a 17-year-old girl from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, introduced herself and asked if Inyoung could add subtitles to the attached video.
DMs like this had been pouring in frequently lately.
“Let’s see. The video is…”
The video the sender had sent was the behind-the-scenes footage of L.I.T’s interview with Weekly Music Q, which had been uploaded to the official NewTube channel recently.
“Ah, this one?”
This had also caused quite a stir recently.
During the interview, the members were asked to take an MBTI test, and Jaewon, Roa, and Siu huddled around a phone, while Ichan and Hanjoon watched them with a look of pity.
Then, the interviewer suddenly asked Chan a question.
―What’s the one thing you want to do the most, our King Leader?
―Something I want to do?
―Yes, as L.I.T, what’s the one thing you want to do the most?
―Hmm, let’s see.
Ichan, with his eyes slightly lowered, answered without much thought.
―Moving?
―Moving?
―Yeah, our current dorm is… it’s like a dungeon.
A dungeon?
The interviewer burst into laughter.
―Moving from a dungeon-like place to a proper house. That’s the goal.
―Moving? Our leader is so humble.
It was humble, but it was also a necessary goal. The Filaments weren’t too fond of L.I.T’s current dorm either.
It was because of the black bag a sasaeng fan had hung on the front door.
Those crazy bitches. Who do they think they are, going there and hanging their unwashed underwear? And then taking pictures of it and spreading them around like it’s something to be proud of?
The fans had lodged real-time complaints with the company, so the members never saw it, but if they had, it would’ve given them PTSD every time they saw a fan.
―What about other things? You know, L.I.T’s ultimate goals. World tours, stadium concerts. Don’t you have any ambitions like that? As the leader, where do you want to take the group? Things like that?
For a moment, Ichan’s expression became complicated. But, true to Kang Ichan’s nature, he quickly regained his composure and answered calmly.
His default expression, often called his “smirkless face,” paired with his cool gaze, gave off a unique vibe, especially with a touch of seriousness.
―I’ve never really thought about specific goals like that. But there is this.
His gaze softened as he looked at the members.
―I want to make sure all our members achieve what they want, within the limits of not hurting themselves physically or mentally.
―What would that be?
―Hmm, I’m not entirely sure yet. But given the members’ personalities, it’s probably simple things. Like Hanjoon hyung’s diet, for example.
At that, Roa raised his hand.
―Hyungnim, I’m definitely not simple. My goal is to hold a solo concert at the Olympic Stadium or Gocheok Dome. I want to perform a solo dance stage there.
Then, Jaewon chimed in.
―I’m not simple either.
―What’s your goal, Jaewon?
―I want to go on a world tour. Perform all over the world. And film it to make a documentary. Of course, I’ll be the director.
Jaewon, pretending to hold a camera, smiled brightly. Roa nodded and added another comment.
He was speaking on behalf of Siu, who was busy taking the MBTI test.
―Siu hyungnim said he wants to perform at the Grammy Awards.
―Wow. That’s amazing too, right?
The interviewer chimed in, clearly a Filament herself, judging by the affection in her tone and expression.
Then, Hanjoon delivered the final blow.
―I want our songs to be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame someday.
At Hanjoon’s words, even Siu, who was taking the MBTI test, looked up in surprise.
Hanjoon, slightly embarrassed, stiffly lifted his chin.
―What? Why? Isn’t it good to dream big?
Normally, idols tend to downplay their ambitions to appear humble.
For a rookie group, aiming for a solo concert wasn’t too out of line, but anything beyond that could be a bit risky.
Sure enough, the members’ ambitions, which had far exceeded the danger zone, left their leader, Kang Ichan, flustered.
No, “flustered” wasn’t the right word. “Bewildered” was more accurate.
He let out a hollow laugh, his thick lips curling slightly, and then scanned the members with a look of disbelief.
―You guys, with those goals…
There was a hint of self-deprecation in his pause.
―Your weight keeps fluctuating, you can’t even win a staring contest with the camera, you whine about not being able to wake up in the morning, and you keep getting injured because you can’t take care of yourselves. Huh?
What could have been a dangerous moment of overambition was neutralized by Ichan’s reaction. While the leader’s expression and voice grew fiercer, the members’ faces grew sullen, making it feel like watching a comedy skit.
―World tour? Grammys? Do you have any conscience or not? To achieve something like that, you need to take care of yourselves first.
Then, Roa cautiously raised his hand and spoke in a subdued voice.
―I’ll be careful not to get injured.
―I’ll wake up properly when you call me in the morning. It’s just because it’s winter. The days are shorter.
Jaewon, sensing the mood, quietly made a promise while offering an excuse.
Next was Siu.
―I-I’ll try to win against the camera.
Only Hanjoon kept his mouth shut. Chan’s gaze lingered on him, as if asking, “Why are you staying quiet?”
Reluctantly, Hanjoon opened his mouth.
―I’ll lose as much weight as you.
And with that, the video ended.
Inyoung, who had been engrossed in the video, laughed for a while.
The “interview scene” had turned into a “reflection meeting” thanks to Kang Ichan’s nagging and the L.I.T members’ reactions.
The Filaments, of course, loved this video.
It showed the dynamics of L.I.T’s relationships well.
It was a video that clearly showed the role of the leader, Ichan, and how close the L.I.T members were to each other.
And it also became a moment for the Filaments to strengthen their solidarity.
The fact that overseas fans were interested in this video was a good sign.
After diligently adding subtitles, Inyoung translated the bucket list posted on the fan cafe and attached it to the end of the video.
L.I.T and Filaments’ Bucket List
PD Pyo! Let’s move if possible.
Let’s get that music show win!
For just one Rookie of the Year award.
A solo concert at Gocheok Dome for Roa.
A world tour with Jaewon!
To get on the Hot 100, we need to aim for the Grammys first.
Conquer the major U.S. award shows. America! Hand over the BMAs, AMAs, and Grammys.
“Grammy Hall of Fame induction”? That’s nothing. Let’s let Hanjoon do everything he wants.
And this became the catalyst for the bucket list, which had only been shared among Korean fans, to spread to overseas fans.
* * *
The behind-the-scenes interview video became quite a hot topic.
The main reaction was that it was adorable to see these fresh rookies innocently sharing their ambitions.
Given their usually pure image, even their slightly arrogant aspirations didn’t come off as annoying.
Moreover, the way the leader had to “clean up” the members’ clueless remarks—though “clean up” might not be the right word—left everyone flustered.
The Filaments, of course, went wild and created a bucket list, vowing to work hard to achieve it.
However, it also became fodder for some trolls.
They’re getting ahead of themselves. A rookie group that hasn’t even been around for a year talking about Grammys? Is this for real?
└They’re way too arrogant.
These kids won’t last long.
└Yeah, I’ll bet half my wallet they’ll disappear from the idol scene within a year.
But the trolls didn’t gain much traction.
The recent videos had received great responses, and the group’s chart rankings had hit their peak. Plus, L.I.T’s name had even made it onto the lineup for the PMA performance.
This meant the Filaments had been given the weapons to fight back.
Yeah, get lost. Our shining idols are unmatched among this year’s rookies. They’ve hit their peak.
└This year? Nah, they’re unmatched even among recently debuted artists. They’re the top rookies. Honestly, they’re even better than Dinaple from the same company.
If you look at this week’s overall results, our shining idols are definitely taking first place on Music City this week.
└Agreed. This is confirmed with objective data.
└Looks like we’re checking off one item on the bucket listㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Our idols are the bestㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
And just as one Filament had predicted, L.I.T took first place on KBC’s Music City that week.